JOSE MOURINHO HAS left Henrikh Mkhitaryan out of the Manchester United line-up for Monday’s match against Stoke City amid links to a move to Arsenal.
It is believed Mkhitaryan will be part of a player swap that will bring Alexis Sanchez to Old Trafford during the January transfer window.
“I would lie if I said it was a pure tactical decision,” Mourinho told Sky Sports. ”It was just a choice of the players that we know, in this moment, they have 100 per cent their heads in Manchester United.
“No doubts about the future. I don’t think it’s easy for a player to play when there are doubts about his future. It’s added pressure that a player doesn’t need, so I think it’s the best for him and for us, while the doubt is in the air, to protect him.”
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'I would lie if I said it was a pure tactical decision' - Mourinho explains Mkhitaryan's absence
JOSE MOURINHO HAS left Henrikh Mkhitaryan out of the Manchester United line-up for Monday’s match against Stoke City amid links to a move to Arsenal.
It is believed Mkhitaryan will be part of a player swap that will bring Alexis Sanchez to Old Trafford during the January transfer window.
“I would lie if I said it was a pure tactical decision,” Mourinho told Sky Sports. ”It was just a choice of the players that we know, in this moment, they have 100 per cent their heads in Manchester United.
“No doubts about the future. I don’t think it’s easy for a player to play when there are doubts about his future. It’s added pressure that a player doesn’t need, so I think it’s the best for him and for us, while the doubt is in the air, to protect him.”
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
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